Thursday, 17 January 2008

My previous post was the last I was able to squeeze in before the few remaining, hectic days leading up to Christmas. I knew my time would be more than occupied in preparing bedrooms, writing menus for the holiday period and buying sufficient food to fill the fridge and freezer.To be fair, judging by the quantity, anyone could be forgiven for thinking we were expecting to feed the Five Thousand.All the while we looked forward in anticipation to our family coming home to stay over the festive season.Whenever our family are here at Barleycorn, my whole world revolves around them.

Occasionally, I am able to snatch a few moments during the day to reply to emails or comments from friends on my website.

More often than not, however, the days are spent in a frenzy of restless creativity.Each meal is prepared with loving kindness, for the time we spend around the family table, sharing all the latest developments in each of our children’s lives, is more precious to me than words can say. Our house is surrounded by the garden, which greets each member with a different view as we draw open the curtains from our own individual bedroom windows each morning.The changing mood of the garden over the festive days was a wonder to behold.

Camera at the ready, we walked around the garden, marvelling at the feeling of seclusion it afforded when it was encompassed one day by freezing fog. For several days, temperatures below zero created a Winter wonderland of frost crystals on the bare bones of the garden. Sleepy silhouettes of trees whose branches had been dark brown the previous day, became stiff overnight, as if standing to attention, transformed to a pristine white.Glaucous blue needles on the cedar glittered and shone, as if Jack Frost had scattered a dusting of icing sugar, with a wave of his magic wand.Otherwise watery ponds turned to ice - below which one could make out the leaves of waterlilies frozen in time for the duration of the cold spell - across which, much to our amusement, the cats enjoyed a spot of skating.From the frosted window panes of the barn hung frosted strands of silk, highlighting the intricacies and skills of amazing spiders’ webs.Outside the patio windows the bird table groaned with nuts and seeds, sultanas and raisins, crusty breads and dried cat food, so beloved by our two broods of blackbirds.On days when the temperature rose and became milder we awoke to a fine scattering of snow, making pretty Christmas card scenes around the garden.

Depending on how cold the temperature and how heavy the hoar frost, the colour of the sky across the field adjacent to the back garden changed from cerulean blue to one sporting a shade of violet tinged with a band of pink. Though I was busy reclaiming my role as Head Chef for the holiday period, from my vantage point in the kitchen, I can look out of the back door across to the barn and across the garden to the frozen pond and the field beyond.Each day, the changing moods of the garden here at Barleycorn never failed to lift my spirits and feed my soul, so much so, that my joy was complete, both from within and without my home.xxxxxxxClick on each photo to enlarge...and feel the chill!xxxxxxx

Your winter pics are stunning,felt as if I was walking your garden with you. My grandfather came from Scotland and I have visited several times. The photographs bring the magic of this wonderful place to everyone. Made my morning. Thank you.

Thank you so much for sharing your winter garden with us. I, like you enjoy, love, soak up every little minute the family are home with us, so find I spend alot less time on the computer. Lets be honestm who would surrounded by your nearest and dearest! I love my lot heaps!

Ah, you're back. Wonderful pics of that gorgeous winter wonderland at Barleycorn. I love frozen mist, it's one of the most beautiful things to behold. It looks like everything outside is covered in a fine layer of pearls and diamonds.

Love the photos - it could be Brittany! Looks like we had the same weather over the festive period... it's pretty mild here now and a great time to get plenty of pruning done before the spring... look forward to more developments over the coming months.. Miranda

Good morning , dear Sally. I agree with you that Christmas would not be the same without our family around the festive table. thank you for visiting :)

A warm welcome to you, Chris. I'm glad you liked the photos. Thank you for the compliments :)

Hello, dear Kate. The festive season was frenetically busy but very enjoyable, thank you. We all enjoyed the 'magic' of the frosty scenes here at Barleycorn :)

Bless you, dear Libby, you hit the nail on the head. I agree that family (and friends) matter most in life, and when they visit, everything else takes a back seat for a while :)

I am well, thank you, dear Barbara. I did wonder if my blogging pals would bother to visit me since I had been neglecting them for the past month :)

We are having showers of heavy sleet as I type, dear Yolanda Elizabet, so I wish you a warm welcome, and thank you for your patience in waiting for a reply. I just seemed to be so busy cooking every day, but I enjoyed the atmosphere while the family were here. I'm glad you liked the photosof the frozen mists :)

Nice to see you again, dear Britt-Arnhild. It seems we have a lot in common and enjoyed our family Christmas. Thank you for your kind words :)

It's so good to have your company, dear Martin. How's the lovely Wendy? I hopw this year brings you both everything you wish for yourselves, with good health and happy days too :)

Great to see you, Miranda. We will be in Brittany in September this year as our younger son is getting married to his Parisian fiancee then. We are very much looking forward to seeing Brittany, and hopefully, some of the gardens there too :)

Thank you for your patience, dear Sandy, and for the lovely compliments :)

Wow, what a gorgeous landscape you have! And reading that you just happened to drive by when it's for sale--now their's some divine directive / opportunity. If you ever need more family, look me up, I'd love to visit and write for a while. Lovely site.

Thank you for the most beautiful words that you wrote about my granddaughter. Like you my children and grandchildren are everything to me. Darling Poppi stays regularly and all my time is given to her, my grandson is at school, he's 4, but in the holidays he will stay. I adore them both, and thank God for them everyday, I have been truly blessed. They love my garden and have such fun here. Poppi has an affinity with nature and dear Riley is a tree hugger. They are such fun.

About Me

In 1990, as we were driving through a little village, I noticed a quaint old barn with a corrugated roof, and a newly-built house adjacent to it. They were standing on a large plot of land, full of pernicious weeds - a corner of a farmer's field, in fact. Then we saw the "For Sale" sign. Four months later we moved in and decided to create a garden for wildlife.
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